Papa's Song in Practice-Creative Communication Strategies for Dementia Care

Learn creative, evidence-informed communication techniques to support people living with dementia and their care partners. Claim your seat today! This engaging session uses storytelling, film, and guided discussion to explore communication in dementia care. Centered on the short film Papa's Song, the presentation examines everyday caregiving moments that reveal common communication challenges for people living with dementia and their care partners. Through selected scenes and clinical reflection, participants will identify patterns that contribute to communication breakdowns and explore practical, person-centered strategies for responding to repetitive questioning, personal care resistance, and emotionally complex interactions. Evidence-informed communication approaches will be discussed in the context of the emotional and relational complexities of dementia caregiving. Participants will gain actionable strategies to enhance communication, promote connection, and support person-centered care. Target Audience Registered nurses and other interested healthcare professionals Objectives At the conclusion of the educational activity, participants will be able to: • Apply person-centered communication strategies to support emotionally attuned interactions and address common communication challenges experienced by people living with dementia. • Demonstrate evidence-informed approaches, including arts-based techniques, for responding to repetitive questioning, personal care resistance, medication-related care moments, and other complex dementia care interactions. • Identify signs of anticipatory and ambiguous loss and integrate supportive, preference-based communication approaches that promote engagement, dignity, and connection for people living with dementia and their care partners. Participants can earn 2.0 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development credit. Each nursing participant must be present for the entire session and complete a session evaluation to receive credit. Presenters Natalie F. Douglas, PhD, CCC-SLP C. Nathaniel Brown, CDP Location Accessible via Zoom. Disclosures No relevant financial relationships were identified for any individual who can control this activity’s content. The presenters and activity planners for this educational activity have disclosed no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.